Vancouver wrote:What is happening here? Have I been transported to alternate universe?
Hi Alex,
Joe mentioned his fishing break.
Jon picked up the news that Australia is planning to eradicate 95% of the invasive European Carp, by introducing a disease.
He added: "What can go wrong?"
I listed some other already introduced items, most of which were either for entertainment, or control of pests. (I'm not sure about the ten pound immigrants). All of them have had big consequences.
About cane toads, see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toads_in_Australia
btw, if you can ever understand my thought processes, you should consider transport to another universe.
Even with only 5% left after the virus does its job, won't those now super virus resistant carp still be more plentiful that the few that were accidentally released in the sixties?
Vancouver wrote:Rabbits. Specifically Australian rabbits, is it still a thing?
Certainly is - there is an infestation not far from here, after some misguided flood prevention measures cleared all the trees from a creek bank, creating a paradise for the burrowing creatures, which are now multiplying like bureaucrats. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-12/k ... ed/7320846
As for European Carp, they are bottom feeders who dislodge the aquatic plants that native fish feed on, so they have to go too. Fishing clubs and local councils have annual "Carpfests" which get rid of tonnes of carp and produces lot of good fertiliser, but not in commercial quantities. On a line they are a good fighting fish, but they are full of bones (even more than trout) and very few people want to eat them, although they are farmed for the table, in Europe and Asia. If only we could train them to dine on Cane Toads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mvV8OT-mmE there are 5 parts to this, but if you have plenty of bandwidth you can view the whole 45min doco.
